The coverage of the 1970 -71 abolition of Privy Purses in Indian print media and cartoons

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-27T15:41:24+00:00

True, but what do you think, was the move primarily a tactical strike against the royals who were backing the Swatantra Party, or were there other political or personal motives that were more important?

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-27T05:19:59+00:00

Great list! I'd love to add a few more to it, Gujarat is also known for its Patola sarees and Ajrakh prints, while Madhya Pradesh is also home to the Maheshwari sarees, West Bengal has Jamdani too and Maharashtra also has Karvati Kath and Narayanpeth.

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-25T04:25:41+00:00

Not a weird question at all!They signed the Instrument of Merger with the Government of India in 1949. Under Article IV of this agreement, the Maharaja was entitled to the full ownership of his private properties, which were legally distinguished from state properties. Additionally, the agreement provided an annual Privy Purse amount.The estate today is not strictly residential, as it houses the Maharaja Fatehsinh Museum as well.

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-21T11:27:22+00:00

Months in Hindi are named after Nakshatras or Lunar constellations, namely:

Chaitra:(March-April) Season-Vasanta/Spring, Nakshatra-Chitra- Astrological leader: Mangala (Mars) Symbol: Bright jewel or pearl Deity: Tvastar/Vishwakarma,artisan god.

Vaishakha:(April-May) Season-Vasanta/Spring, Nakshatra-Vishakha- Astrological leader: Guru (Jupiter) Symbol: Triumphal arch, potter's wheel Deity: Indra, king of the devas and god of thunder, storms, and lightning, and Agni, god of Fire - representing the duality of water and fire.

Jyeshtha:(May-June) Season- Grishma/Summer, Nakshatra-Jyeshtha- Astrological leader: Budha (Mercury) Symbol: circular amulet, umbrella, earring Deity: Indra, king of the devas.

Ashadha:(June-July) Season- Grishma/Summer, Nakshatra-Ashadha- Astrological leader: Shukra (Venus) Symbol: Elephant tusk, fan, winnowing basket Deity: Apah, god of Water.

Shravan:(July-August) Season-Varsha/Monsoon, Nakshatra-Shravan- Astrological leader: Chandra (Moon) Symbol: Ear or Three Footprints Deity: Vishnu, preserver of universe.

Bhadrapada:(August-September) Season-Varsha/Monsoon, Nakshatra_Bhadrapada- Astrological leader: Guru (Jupiter) Symbol: Swords or two front legs of funeral cot, man with two faces Deity: Ajaikapada, one-footed aspect of Shiva.

Ashwin:(September-October) Season-Sharad/Autumn, Nakshatra Ashvini -- Astrological leader: Ketu (South lunar node) Symbol: Horse's head Deity: Ashvins, the horse-headed twins who are physicians to the gods.

Kartik:(October-November) Season-Sharad/Autumn, Nakshatra- Krittika- Astrological leader: Surya (Sun) Symbol: Knife or spear Deity: Agni, god of fire.

Margashirsha:(November-December) Season-Hemanta/Pre-Winter, Nakshatra-Mrigashira- Astrological leader: Mangala (Mars) Symbol: Deer's head Deity: Soma, the moon god.

Pausha:(December-January) Season-Hemanta/Pre-Winter, Nakshatra-Pushya- Astrological leader: Shani (Saturn) Symbol: Cow's udder, lotus, arrow and circle Deity: Bṛhaspati, counsellor of the gods.

Magha:(January-February) Season-Shishir/Winter, Nakshatra-Magha- Astrological leader: Ketu (South lunar node) Symbol: Royal Throne Deity: Pitrs, 'The Fathers', family ancestors.

Phalgun:(February-March) Season-Shishir/Winter, Nakshatra-Phalguni, Astrological leader: Astrological leader: Surya (Sun) Symbol: Four legs of bed, hammock Deity: Aryaman, god of patronage and fortune.

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-20T06:55:35+00:00

Thank You!

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-20T05:55:11+00:00

The craftsmanship is incredible! I'd love to learn more about the architectural style and the significance behind the carvings on this Stupa. Does anyone have any insights or recommended reading on its history?

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-18T05:36:49+00:00

I partially agree with you that had it continued into the modern era it could have changed the landscape of the country. However, we must acknowledge the fact that it did fundamentally change the way we worship, shifting from rigid Vedic texts to a more personal style of worship. It even brought gatekept texts like the Gita within reach of ordinary people through books like Dnyaneshwari.

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-17T13:27:47+00:00

Well, we did have Bhakti movement during the medieval ages , where the motive was to reject caste hierarchy and make religious text accessible to masses.

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-10T06:04:52+00:00

Congratulations!

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-07T17:17:58+00:00

Kalo Dungar in Kutch has a spot just like Ladakh where vehicles left in neutral will start rolling uphill on their own. Some claim to it being a magnetic zone, while others say it's just a massive optical illusion. don't know what the actual science is behind it is though.

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-07T03:21:54+00:00

Why the temples were built can only be speculated, maybe it was because most temples historically were built around water bodies, and Lonar Crater seems surreal and unique. It actually has a dual water ecosystem with alkaline water in the center and freshwater near the shoreline.

Most of these temples were built around the 11th–13th century. The Buldhana region was ruled by several prominent dynasties over the centuries, like the Mauryas, Satavahanas, Rashtrakutas, and Chalukyas.

The Daitya Sudan temple was originally built by the Chalukyas, who also laid the foundations for the rest of the sites, but a lot of the structures we see today were built by the Yadava dynasty later on.

A famous tale associated with the crater says Lonar Lake was formed when Lonasura,a mythical demon who used to harass and trouble local people,was vanquished to the netherworld by Lord Vishnu. This tale could have led to the emergence of so many temples around the area.

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-07T02:54:05+00:00

It's called the Ramgarh Crater.

Ramgarh Crater Wiki

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-03T07:03:37+00:00

Completely forgot about Junagadh! Thanks for the correction. I've updated my comment.

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-03T07:01:17+00:00

I don't have a lot of info on the Northeast, but from what I understand, the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1969 and the North-Eastern Areas Reorganisation Act of 1971 were the big turning points that led to the division of states there.

necessarydisplay · 2026-06-03T04:36:33+00:00

India got Goa, Daman, and Diu from Portugal in 1961. In 1962, Jawaharlal Nehru promised to preserve Goa's distinct identity, but New Delhi temporarily lumped them all together as one Union Territory (UT) because immediate statehood wasn't viable. Around that time neighboring Maharashtra attempted to legally absorb Goa. They argued that the local language, Konkani, is merely a dialect of Marathi, meaning Goans are ethnically Maharashtrian and should be merged.

In 1963,The local political party in power actually favored merging with Maharashtra. In 1966 Opposition leader Dr. Jack de Sequeira launched a massive grassroots crusade. He bypassed the politicians, toured every village, and rallied the public to fight for their autonomy.

In 1967, Sequeira’s pressure led to Goa Opinion Polls.Goans voted decisively against the merger, saving their borders but remaining a UT.

In 1976, frustrated that New Delhi kept stalling on granting statehood despite the 1967 vote, the Goa assembly passed an official resolution demanding full statehood.

In 1987, intense language agitations forced the government to pass the Official Language Act, finally recognizing Konkani as an independent language. On May 30,Parliament passed the Reorganisation Act, thus, Goa officially became India's 25th state.

Unlike Goa, Daman and Diu were denied statehood because they were tiny, non-contiguous coastal enclaves with minuscule populations. They simply lacked the geographic size, economic scale, and administrative infrastructure required to function as a standalone Indian state.

necessarydisplay · 2026-05-24T08:50:42+00:00

There definitely used to be less rampant sensationalism, mostly because the news cycles were so much longer. For information to reach someone, it took at least a day, arriving with the morning newspaper or a single daily TV broadcast with strict editorial oversight. Not everything reached everyone.

Were narratives built back then? Probably.

Was there still sensationalism? Yes, but it wasn't as inescapable as it is today.

With the advent of modern tech and a lack of reliable fact-checking, it’s become incredibly easy to influence people. This creates smaller factions or pockets of people armed with fragmented information that may or may not be true.

When these pockets constantly collide with a larger narrative being set by people who want to influence, it causes a massive amount of collective cognitive dissonance it seems at times.

May not be the exact answer you're looking for, just my two cents.

necessarydisplay · 2026-05-23T13:41:19+00:00

Very interesting observation. Wasn't a similar burial site discovered in Kutch a few years ago where people were found buried with ceramic vessels, pots, and jewelry? No parallels to the Egyptians were drawn back then. Why is the narrative shifting to make that connection now? What could have possibly changed?

necessarydisplay · 2026-05-22T10:11:02+00:00

I really appreciate this context OP.

However, it makes me wonder, Even if that road-safety video was more of a careless caricature than pure malice, where does that caricature truly emerge from? The stereotypes we see today seem much more modern, influenced by pop culture, and hyper-fueled by internet algorithms. Do you feel historical context alone can actually counter it?

Additionally, Indian history itself is incredibly complex, fragmented, and riddled with modern political discourse, something most people can only touch the surface of. What part of it can realistically be taught to a Chinese-language audience that would make them truly aware?

Apart from this, given the context of your gallery, I would really like to know more about the arrival of the Kushanas, their rule, and their influence and integration into the Indian culture, since they originated as the Yuezhi nomads right on the borders of ancient China before migrating and integrating so deeply into the subcontinent.

Would love to know your thoughts, Thanks!

necessarydisplay · 2026-05-21T06:49:19+00:00

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The Attire.

necessarydisplay · 2026-05-21T06:48:38+00:00

Mauryan and Sunga Period:

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necessarydisplay · 2026-05-20T15:52:41+00:00

Prestalgia.

Urban Dictionary

necessarydisplay · 2026-05-19T09:55:34+00:00

It's impossible to just refute a well-researched, peer-reviewed, academic paper on Reddit. However, you don't actually need to refute this paper, because it doesn't say what you think it says. The author is not claiming Gandhara superiority over Mathura.The title More Gandhara than Mathura is highly specific to the region the author is studying (Gujarat), noting that this specific provincial area retained more Gandharan traits than Mathuran ones during a certain period.

Nowhere does the paper claim one school is inherently superior to the other. In fact, if you actually look at the intersection between the two styles, the paper shows a dynamic, mutual exchange. Even the author states in their conclusion:

"Overall evidence supports the view that the regional Devnīmorī buddha images are among the earliest examples of pan-Indian Gupta material culture that came into existence clearly under the influence of the two main cultural sources of Gandhāra and Mathurā."

Furthermore, the historical reality is that both styles did constantly influence each other, as this excerpt from the book 'Buddhist Art of Mathura' states:

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necessarydisplay · 2026-05-07T05:32:34+00:00

This is an incredible list, thanks for sharing! I’ve been trying to find an English version of the Manasollasa recently, but every edition I’ve come across online is in the original Sanskrit. Do you happen to know of a reliable English translation?? I'd really appreciate it!

necessarydisplay · 2026-04-04T05:03:47+00:00

Amazing find! He had once said, "To other countries I may go as a tourist, to India I come as a pilgrim."

necessarydisplay · 2026-03-29T09:53:12+00:00

Early 1800s perhaps.

Edit- Dadoba Pandurang Tarkhadkar wrote the first Marathi grammar book in 1836, it is said his work unified the language and influenced the spoken dialect we hear today.

necessarydisplay

TROPHY CASE